The present invention relates generally to mounting stakes for installing terminal boxes, connector boxes, electrical interface boxes or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stake and plate system for installing terminal boxes such as utility subscriber junction boxes or subscriber network interface boxes (SNI's). The invention is believed best classified in Class 248, Subclass 49.
A variety of terminal boxes have evolved over the years for forming junctions between incoming utility wires and those wires leading internally of residences, utility buildings or the like. Concurrently, the need for such devices, and the need for mounting such devices, have increased as more and more users subscribe to cable television, install multiple phone lines, or otherwise avail themselves of various utilities. Typically, building structures that lack a continuous support foundation do not provide a convenient means by which terminal boxes and SNI hookups may be adequately secured and received. Hence it is known to provide a mount through a stake system. However, varying installations facing the installer has hitherto require him to inventory a plurality of stakes of varying lengths, nominally providing for three foot, three and one half foot, and four foot installations.
Modern terminal boxes, such as subscriber network interfaces (hereinafter "SNI's") include protective housings which must be securely mounted adjacent the building or residence being serviced by the installer. The vast majority of the commercially available SNI devices like the KEPTEL SNI 2100 and 4600 series, AT & T's 200 and 400 series, SIECOR CAC 1000 series, the COOK ELECTRIC's 501-2600 series, and the GTE Sylvania CP700 and CP800 are encased in their own unique protective housing which guards against inclement weather, and other potentially destructive events. The housing configurations differ significantly between manufacturers, as do the manner in which a particular SNI device is to be mounted on a receiving plate member.
A typical SNI housing includes a plurality of bosses for receiving conventional fasteners such as bolts and/or self tapping screws. Some SNI housings employ a plastic anchor assembly which is designed to be pinched together and passed through a receiving orifice. Whatever mounting configuration and method is employed by a particular manufacturer of SNI devices, the fastener must connect the mounting surface to the SNI housing or vice versa. SNI's are usually installed upon some form of mounting system, often in the form of a stake. A typical stake is adapted to be driven into the ground, and a SNI reception plate is affixed to the stake top.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art it is advantageous to have both the stake portion and the mounting surface be rigid and yet lightweight. The combination must be durable and resistant to the elements to maintain its installed position for long periods of time without significant deterioration. Further, the stake portion of the mounting system should shield and protect incoming wires. U-shaped or V-shaped mounting stakes prove particularly effective when used for this purpose, since they can inherently house the service wires.
It will be further appreciated that in order to effectively drive the stake member into the ground without damaging it, a means for enabling the stake to be forcibly struck without jeopardizing its integrity is desirable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,198 issued to Garrett on Feb. 28, 1978 addresses this problem. The latter patent, which discloses what is believed to be the most pertinent prior art, features a thin impact receiving washer permanently fixed atop a V-shaped mobile home telephone stake. This washer is forcibly struck by a mallet or hammer thereby driving the stake into the ground. However, the particular configuration thereshown makes the stake cumbersome for certain mounting purposes. In addition, the size of the washer must be relatively the same size as the projected circular diameter of the stake. If this were not true, any offcenter blow to the washer would prove deleterious to the stake by inducing a bending moment.
In order to ease the mounting of a SNI device it is desirable to have the mounting surface removable from, and attachable to, the stake member that is driven into the ground. Hence, the SNI device may be fastened to the mounting surface receiving plate prior to attachment of the receiving plate to the stake member, thereby making the entire mounting process less difficult than it would be if attempting to mount the SNI directly to a vertical stake. The latter concept is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,198.
The majority of known prior art mounting systems disclose mounting surfaces that are integral with the stake. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,076,198 issued to Garrett on Feb. 28, 1978, and 3,868,080 issued to Olson on Feb. 25, 1975, are the only known references disclosing a form of two piece construction having a removable mounting surface. However, the specification and the claims disclosing the respective mounting surfaces of the '198 and '080 patents are not designed to accommodate a variety of SNI devices, but are limited solely to telephone jacks.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,180,920 granted to D. H. Fletcher et al. on Apr. 27, 1965, and 3,164,668 granted to J. J. Skubal on Jan. 5, 1965, disclose a pedestal which function as receiving terminals for wires. These particular pedestal means also function as electrical "ground" contacts. Thus the pedestal forms an integral part of the operative wiring system. Consequently, the last mentioned patents do not provide a receiving means for the variety of SNI devices that are commercially available like those mentioned above.
In accordance with the prior art teachings in this field of invention, it appears that a mounting means designed to effectively accommodate most all protective housings associated with the variety of subscriber network interfaces, and hookups of a similar nature, has yet to be developed. It also appears that a mounting stake communicating with a separate mounting plate member having numerous properly located receiving orifices could provide a rigid composite system which would be easy to install and dependable thereafter. It is also necessary to provide a stake system which can be varied in length to accommodate different installation parameters.